Prefabricated suites attached to existing homes
People facing the decision of whether or not they can care for an elderly or disabled loved one may soon have a technologically advanced option that allows them to nurse their relatives at home – instead of sending them to a nursing home.
Beyond Cash Donations: How New Forms of Giving Are Transforming Not-for-Profit Accounting
Evolving Funding Landscape for Not-for-Profits Not-for-profit organizations are being asked to do more with less,…
Learn More
Healing Homes, a Tiverton-based company, will display its premier alternative to institutionalized care on the Roger Williams Medical Center’s Elmhurst campus at the intersection of Maude and Smith streets in Providence.
The “master bedroom suite” is a fully accessible, prefabricated unit that can be attached to an existing home. The suite includes a living/bedroom area, bathroom and closet. Larger models include a kitchenette.
While Healing Home President Jeff Mason said there are many advantages to having one of the homes installed, the most important one is that it allows families to keep their elderly or disabled loved one with them, instead of sending them to a nursing facility for care.
“It’s an opportunity to not feel as though you have abandoned a loved one because you institutionalized them,” Mason said.
In addition to keeping a loved one near, these prefabricated modules offer a range of high-tech add-ons that make caring for the residents less of a burden on family members, Mason said.
The suites can be equipped with a host of technology to remotely monitor the welfare of the resident and equipment to make the living space accessible for the person living there. Everything from remote medical monitoring and environmental controls to teleconferencing capability and entertainment options can be built in to the suite. More than 150 design features can be built in to each suite to accommodate the residents’ needs.
To ensure the resident is moving about during his or her daily routine, sensors can be installed to track movement.
Mason said the technology will study the resident’s habits for a period of time and store them in a database. For instance, the equipment can record movement to and from the restroom, kitchen and even if the resident eats. If the resident deviates drastically from their daily routine, the monitoring system will prompt a human response to check on their welfare.
Also, a Healing Home can be equipped with an environmental control unit that can open doors and windows, operate lights and essentially “do everything an able person can,” Mason said.
The environmental controls can be operated from a bed or wheelchair via switch or remote, be voice-activated or by “sip and puff” technology for a person who is completely immobilized.
“If a loved one needs to go to work,” there is a teleconference capability that allows them to call home via videophone and see their relative to ensure everything is running smoothly. “They have the peace of mind that their relative is OK,” Mason said.
If being able to see that mom or dad is fine isn’t enough, Healing Home also offers a “telemedical system” that allows medical conditions to be reported and monitored wirelessly. A Visiting Nurse Association or similar agency monitors the reports and sends help if the loved one’s vital signs indicate danger. The Veterans’ Association is already using more than 25,000 telemedical devices around the country, Mason said.
Ceiling-lift technology is also in development. Mason said a lift system would be employed to lift the resident from bed and carry them to the bathroom.
“It gives them the freedom of choice to be home in a safe, secure environment,” Mason said. “And both the care provider and care recipient can be independent.”
While Mason sees a Healing Home as a viable, preferable alternative to institutionalized care, he acknowledges the technology cannot totally replace one-on-one health care.
“The technology won’t be a panacea, but it will provide a lot of peace of mind,” Mason said. Even with a fully equipped master suite installed, the resident might still need a nurse, physical therapist or occupational therapist to visit a few hours a week.
A Healing Home is a more economic choice compared to institutionalized care, Mason said.
“Skilled nursing can cost between $5,000 and $8,000 per month and assisted living can cost between $3,000 and $4,500 per month,” Mason said.
By comparison, a Healing Home can be financed through an equity line of credit for about $500 a month over 15 years, Mason said. The base cost of a Healing Home – excluding technological add-ons and subscriber services – is $59,000 for a 14-by-20-foot unit and $69,000 for a 14-by-24 unit.
Mason expected work on the prototype to begin last week. Greentech Housing Co. in Worcester is building the first model. Mason said he has as many as five modular housing builders in the Northeast interested in building the units. He hopes to be ready to start delivery of the units as early as January or February of 2005.
